The Sweetest Sin
by Aleriori
Summary: While in Central for his exams, Edward meets a waitress who isn't quite what she seems. Determined to accompany Edward and his brother on their quest, she means to find out why she was flung into the world of Amestris, and if she really wants to leave...
1. Chapter 1

Part The First

A Strange Encounter

Edward Elric let out a lingering, drawn-out sigh. His brother, Alphonse, gave him a sidelong glance, but said nothing. There hadn't been even the slightest hint of a lead on the Philosopher's Stone in ages. The street they walked was crowded in the noonday rush, with people scampering like so many ants in and out of the many shops that lined the avenue. They kept their distance from the brothers Elric, however, made uneasy by Alphonse's hulking steel frame. Al tried to scrunch down, but to no avail; the spiked armor that encased him rattled with every move, and glinted dully in the sun. People often mistook him for the elder of the two brothers, when in fact he was the younger of the two by a year, as Alphonse's seven-foot frame dwarfed his already petite brother.

Edward, heedless of the distance maintained by the crowd, was lost in thought. He had that look on his face again, the eyebrows knitted tightly together, the eyes sharp, perceptive yet distant, a slight frown bending the corners of his mouth. Edward had always had a superb ability to concentrate, blocking out everything but his own thoughts. Alphonse glanced over at him again, feeling as though he should say something, although he was unsure of what exactly needed to be said. But he didn't want to break his brother's concentration.

Edward walked with his hands behind his head, looking up at the tops of the buildings. So many thoughts were rushing through his head, and he was unable to slow the montage. What if they never found the stone, if he could never get their bodies back? What would they do if they didn't find it? But.. What would they do if they did? Edward didn't want to stay with the military, but it seemed as though settling back down in their hometown wasn't an option, either. After all they'd been through.. Edward loved his hometown, but it was just too peaceful, too slow to return to permanently. He shook his head, in a vain attempt to clear it, or at least bring some semblance of order to the wild string of thoughts. As his mind rushed down to earth, a sudden scent of warm coffee wafted by him. His stomach rumbled loudly, and he realized he'd not eaten breakfast. He looked to see from where the scent had come, and his eyes fell on a nearby sign, emblazoned with the words, "Secret's Garden Coffee Shoppe". The words were surrounded by leaves and vines, painted a deep and fading green on the old, dark wood.

"Hey, Al." Edward said suddenly, looking over at his brother. "I'm kinda hungry, let's stop in there."

"Actually, I wanted to pick up a new can of oil. I'm getting kind of dirty." Alphonse replied.

"Okay. You up to it by yourself?" Edward asked, glancing up at his little brother.

"Yup." Al said, nodding.

"Alright, we'll met back up at our room, then." Edward said, turning to leave. He raised a hand towards Al as he walked into the small building. Alphonse waved to his back before continuing down the street.

The bell above the door rang out quietly, announcing another customer. The girl at the counter turned around to look. It was a boy about her own age, rather short, but slim and well-built. He glanced casually around, his honey-colored eyes scanning the small shop, hands shoved in the pockets of his leather pants. She looked down, at his clunky boots, black with red trim and red soles. Elevator boots. A long red jacket, almost a trench coat, hung down to the backs his knees, with an emblem she couldn't make out printed on the back, due to both her position and the fact that a hood obscured part of the top. An open black coat under the almost trench coat, with a high collar and white trim, a silver clasp at the neck, and a black shirt underneath. 'Great. A goth.' She thought, then, upon seeing the long blond hair pulled back in a braid, retracted her opinion. 'Emo? Scene? I can never tell the difference. Wait.. Are there even scenes here? I've yet to see one. Or a skater. Or an emo. Goths, though. Seen a few of them. …Why am I labeling him? There's no point to that…' While she thought all this, she looked at the hair framing his face, obviously too short to go into the braid, and had either, judging by the volume, had been included and slipped out, or he used root-lifting gel. 'But there's no hair gel here…' She thought. 'But what else could explain the massive volume?' She pondered this while staring at the cowlick ('There's really no other word for it,' she thought) that shot up into the air and hung above his head like an antenna. He had a soft, boyish face, the eyes large, yet hard and inexpressive, world-weary, in a way, the nose straight and defined, the mouth set firmly in place. His eyebrows arched up, giving him the impression of looking quite angry. 'Hmm.. He's pretty, though.' She thought with approval.

Meanwhile, the boy had moved easily through the room, with an almost feline grace, his smooth, rolling gait carrying him easily and quickly to a corner table. He seemed quite comfortable and at home, but then, this was the feeling one got from the sort of easy, slow-paced coffee shops such as this. The girl looked away, the boy having not noticed her in the least. 'Thank god...' The girl thought, returning to her order. 'One dark chocolate mocha, extra whipped cream, easy on the cocoa powder, not too much cream, four spoonfuls sugar, extra espresso. This dude's gonna be awake for weeks.' The thought passed unbidden, and she smiled, picking up a china plate with the clever little design done in gold and placed on it the large hunk of chocolate cake he had requested. 'Mmm.. looks good...' She thought.

Seated, Edward looked around him. The place was large and sunny, the light streaming in from the large bay windows set on all sides of the room. There were only a few other people inside, huddled in their chairs, hunched over books or newspapers. He leaned back, settling himself in his seat. The atmosphere was calm, and he let his guard down a bit. From his seat in the corner, Edward had a complete view of the place. There was a single employee at the counter, tall, and clearly feminine, with her back turned to him. She wore what he assumed was the company's uniform, a long-sleeved white dress shirt under a form-fitting emerald vest, black pants that tightly hugged her rather curvaceous butt and thighs, and high, shiny black pumps. 'Rather bottom-heavy..' He thought, noticing how thin her lower legs and arms were, her slim stomach, and her long, slender neck. Her hair, a soft-looking deep brown, was done up in a messy bun, and, even from this distance, he could see the flash of her rings. 'Expensive.' He labeled her, as the glint of her jewelry captured his attention once more.  
The interior of the coffehouse, for the most part, consisted of dark wood and caramel-colored paneling. The tables were small and round, scattered about the room. Looking down, Edward noticed that there was a fading ring of gold paint on the outer edge. He sat on a high, backed stool, with a soft, yielding cushion upholstered in dark, plush material. Across the room was a long bar-like counter, the shelves behind stocked full of canisters he assumed were full of ground coffee beans. Placed at even intervals along the counter were tiered dishes holding various kinds of pastries, with a tall glass cover placed on top of each.

"May I take your order?" Asked a bright, but quiet voice beside him, with a slight accent he couldn't quite place. He jumped in surprise. He'd learned to be wary of anything that snuck up without catching his attention. His gaze traveled up the slim figure. "Oh, did I scare you? I'm sorry!" She said, smiling a little, in a sad, apologetic way.

"No, no.." Edward trailed off, hardly aware of what he'd said. For a moment, just a flickering second that he could hardly recall, as his eyes finally reached her face, she had seemed almost heavenly... The sunlight shone behind her, illuminating her in a glow that could only be described as holy. He shook his head, clearing it. She was just a waitress. An expensive waitress.

"Oh.. So are you ready to order, then?" She asked, staring at him in a shy, almost fearful manner. It was the girl he had seen at the counter when he walked in. Upon closer inspection, he found that she was actually quite short, perhaps, ('Dare I say it..?' he wondered,) shorter than himself, with smooth, pale skin, and a strip of freckles running from cheek to cheek, across a classic nose, wide, silver-pink half-frame glasses, and wide, dark brown eyes rimmed in heavy black eyeliner. Her cherry-red mouth was perhaps a little small, but the fullness of her lips made it appear somehow fitting that it should be so. Deep green eyeshadow, almost the exact colour of her vest, covered her eyelids and stretched out from the corners of her eyes in a cat-like fashion. A soft, thin layer of blunt-cut bangs ran across the top of her forehead just above her glasses, and two thick strands of hair hung down on either side of her face. Judging by their length, her hair was quite long. In a way, ('It was the hairstyle', he thought later,) she reminded him of Winry. Unlike Winry, however, she was only pretty… not ugly, but not honestly beautiful. Though he would only admit so to himself. Maybe if she hadn't rimmed her eyes so thickly in eyeliner and mascara, or if her lips weren't so startlingly red she'd look prettier. Or maybe it was just that her hairstyle wasn't the most flattering. Anyhow, he wiped his previous thought from his mind. She wasn't so beautiful. His eyes traveled down, past the black leather choker from which a gold dream catcher charm with silver feathers dangled, to the name tag pinned to her vest. In a leafy, scrolling font it read in emerald letters, 'Savina'. Edward shook his head again, noticing the quizzical look she gave him. He glanced back at the open menu, realizing he hadn't even glanced at it.

"What do you recommend?" He asked. She became suddenly tense, and all of a sudden, Edward felt a shiver run through his body. There was definitely something... off about her. He was getting a strange vibe from her, and he couldn't figure out why.

"Well, I rather fancy the raspberry-chocolate mocha, and the strawberry shortcake. They're both really sweet, though, so it's like a massive dose of sugar in one sitting..." She said in a sweet voice, the voice of a little girl of about five, he thought without thinking.

"I think I can handle it." Edward said smugly. "That sounds really good, in fact. I'll take it." He watched her intently.

"Right, then." She said, scribbling down his order and turning back to the counter. 'She clearly is not the best person to work as a waitress'' Edward thought. Even from this brief encounter he could tell she was painfully shy and introverted... Was that what was wrong here? No.. it couldn't be something so simple. He'd never gotten a feeling like this just because some one was shy... It had to be something else.  
He looked out the window next to him, gazing at a tiny, unevenly paved back street and an empty lot. His exams were coming up fast… But what was it about that Savina waitress? The issue kept surfacing in his mind... there seemed to be a sort of loneliness akin to what he sometimes felt when he saw a happy family. She looked so innocent and shy, but yet… there was something defiant in her self-conscious manner. Like somehow she just didn't belong and she knew it, but yet she stayed on her path… like he stayed on his, no matter what obstacles he must overcome. He shook his head. That's stupid. She's a shy waitress working at a tiny coffee dive. We're nothing alike, He thought. But still...

Ed leaned back in his chair once more, drumming his fingers on the table. The automail made a deep, heavy sound through the glove as it landed on the lacquered wood. He glanced around the room once more, then turned his attention toward the window and watched as a few people roamed the back streets, pondering.

"Here you go!" Savina the Waitress said quietly as she placed Edward's order on the table. She had managed, somehow, to evenly weave around the tables with tight, precise turns. Edward smiled, an idea forming in his mind. But before she could go, he stopped her again.

"Why don't you sit down? There's nobody here, and you look like you could use a break." He smiled his best smile. He had a sudden urge to talk to her, to find out who she was and why she seemed so out of place. He had to; he knew he wouldn't be able to let it go.

"I really shouldn't.." She began. "My boss would really have it out with me if he caught me.."

"Aw, come on, there's hardly anyone here." Edward countered.

So she sat down across from him despite her excuses, looking shyly down with a slight blush, pulling on her sleeves under the table. "I haven't seen you around here before." She said to her knees, her glance skittering to his face.

Edward smiled as he took a bite of cake. "I don't really come to Central too often, but I'm here for my assessment." He replied easily. 'Start simple, and get her talking,' He thought to himself.

"Oh, so you're a student?" She asked, looking up quickly. He eyes were wider, showing interest.

"Naw.. I'm in the military. State alchemist." He said, picking up the coffee cup and watching for a reaction. Savina's eyes widened even more in surprise. He took a sip of the coffee.

"You're a state alchemist? But.. then you're…" She trailed off, staring at him in amazement, head cocked to one side. Edward nodded. 'Good, she knows who I am.' He thought, then amended, 'I guess it's hard not to, in Central, at least.'

"Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist." He repeated the title for the umpteenth time. Savina smiled, looking down and then back up at him. 'Odd mannerisms..' He noted to himself. She was still tugging on her sleeves, as though trying to stretch them so they would cover her hands. 'But why?'

"Oh.. That's cool. So, how'd you do it?" She asked, and then colored, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Well.." Edward began, strangely wanting to tell her the truth, but unsure if he could trust her. "I was recommended by Colonel Mustang to take the test, and I passed, so I got the license." He said, shrugging as though it was a common experience for twelve-year-old boys to become high-ranking military officials.

"Wow, that's pretty awesome." She said with a smile and another blush.

"I guess." Edward said nonchalantly. He took a bite of the shortcake. 'Nothing so far... Damn.'

"Hmm.." She sighed, looking down at the table. She pulled her left hand out of her lap and placed her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand. She wore a ring on her left hand, silver with a single small diamond. 'Is she involved with somebody?' He wondered. She wore another ring, too, on her first finger. It was large and silver, with intricate detailing around some sort of flat, light blue stone. On the thumb was a ring of some dark, reflective metal. On her right hand, now also on the table, he noticed a silver ring, in the shape of a cat, coiling around her thumb. A silver ring on her first finger, with large, intentionally-made nicks around the center, and on the middle, an obnoxious ring that showed traces of once having been silver, with what seemed to be a large pink diamond set in the intricately made, raised setting. Edward glanced up at her. Nothing wrong with her hands, except all that obnoxious jewelry.

"Are your rings real?" He asked, in an attempt to confirm his suspicions of her expensiveness.

"Oh, no.. I ahm.. I think the only real one is this cat and this one..." She held up both her thumbs for him to see. He nodded, thrusting his lower lip up in a sign of appreciation.

"So how long have you been working here?" He asked. She raised her head, her hand falling to her shoulder.

"Mmh, not too long, I guess… Ever since I got here." She replied, her eyes softening.

"Ah… So, where'd you move from?" He asked, in a rather indifferent tone, taking another bite of cake. 'Crunch time. Let's see where this takes us.' He thought.

"Well.. I guess you could say it was a whole other world." A faint smile tugged at her lips. Edward's mind raced at her reply.. a whole other world...? A sudden laugh broke the short silence. "But that's silly." She shook her head. "It was just different, that's all."

"Different how?" Edward asked, his interest piqued. His eyes became sharp and bright.

"Just.. Well… It's kind of hard to explain, I guess. We had a lot of different customs, I suppose, different technology, government, just.. Lots of things, I guess." Savina replied vaguely, waving her hand as though to brush the subject away.

"Oh, so you're not going to give me a specific place, then?" He asked playfully. "Who knows, all the places I've been, I may have passed through." He employed a honey sweet, dribbling tone to his voice. He wanted her to talk. And he wanted answers. Now. He had a hunch, and he'd follow it to the end.

"Mmh, I don't know.." She said quietly, a nostalgic expression on her face.

"Really?" He asked, leaning forward.

"Really." She said, leaning back a little, a small smile blossoming. Her now crossed arms rested on the table as support.

"And why is that?" He smirked.

"I told you, it's a whole other world. Another country." There was a strange look in her eyes, as though she expected him to see something else in her words… something… like…! Wait, she isn't…? That's it, why she's so out of place! Then… maybe…! But.. Am I jumping to conclusions, or is she really..? Maybe she has it! The Philosopher's Stone... what they'd been searching for for so many years... that alchemical substance that could bypass the laws of equivalent exchange, and allow the brothers Elric to get their bodies back. It was so close..

"Like the one across the Gate?" He said, all the playfulness running from his tone. She sat back, smiling.

"Yeah. That one." She chuckled. "You really are as clever as they say you are."

"They say it for a reason, you know. So. How'd you cross it? And why are you telling this to me? And what do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?" There was a long silence during which Savina seemed to be collecting her thoughts as she stared down at the table. Edward grew restless.

"I'm not sure, honestly, why I wanted to tell you. But.. I don't know anything about the Philosopher's Stone." She finally replied, looking at her knees again.

"How can you not be sure? This is.." He trailed off. "Wait, how many people have you told this to?" He asked suspiciously. "And how could you not know about the Stone? How were you able to cross the Gate?"

"I don't know, it just happened. And I haven't told anyone." She said in a soft voice, her eyes staring straight into his. Edward sighed. Another false lead. It was obvious she wasn't lying; Edward had a keen eye for that.

"Good. There are people… things… that would kill to have that information." He breathed in a sigh of half relief. Even though she didn't have the Stone, she might still be able to help them.

"Yeah.. There generally are with things like this." She replied. Now her voice sounded what seemed to be normal for her. It still sounded young, but not as obscenely so as when she'd first spoken. Edward guessed her to be only fourteen or fifteen, at the most. "So. What do you know about it, while we're on the subject? The Gate, or whatever." Edward gave her a quizzical look. She had an odd ability to make it sound like they were discussing something as trivial as the weather.

"Not too much.." He replied.

"I take it then, that you've seen it, too. And, that's partly why you carry the title you do."

"Yeah." He sighed again. Her innocent countenance hid her perceptive nature.

"Well, aren't we in a pretty situation?" She remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah, tell me about it.. Where are you staying?" Edward asked suddenly. They had to talk this over in detail, somewhere safe. Somewhere nothing and no one harmful could overhear them. He needed to know every ounce of information he could, just in case it might help him. In order to get his brother's body back, he needed all the help he could get.

"Uh.. What?" Savina shot up, clearly taken aback.

"Where are you staying? We need to talk this over in depth." Edward explained.

"Oh." She gave him a suspicious sidelong glance, resettling herself in her seat. Savina seemed to trust him to some extent, at least. "Watercrest Ardour." She replied, the timid aspect resurfacing in her voice. "You know, that little apartment place."

"Yeah, I think I've passed it." Edward replied.

"Okay, ah, I live in the third building, on the fourth fourth floor, the fifth room on the right. Easy to remember." She laughed a bit, a gentle sound ending in a squeak. "I'd get so lost otherwise, I'd be up all night looking for my room.." Edward laughed uncertainly, unsure if it was a joke or not.

"Alright. When should I stop by?" He asked after a short silence. Savina's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she hadn't imagined him in her sorry little dump of a home, even though it was plain to see he meant to gain every bit of knowledge he could from her. 'And what then..? Should I really trust him?' She wondered to herself.

"Well, uh.." She trailed off. 'I get off at five.. Ten minute walk.. Two and a half hours to clean?' "How about around seven thirty?" She asked hopefully. Edward frowned a bit.

"Hmm, that might be a bit late, the military rooms close at nine.." 'Oh jeez, how long does he plan to stay?' Savina thought, distraught. "When do you get off?"

"Well, uh, I get off at five, technically, but my room's kinda messy, so.." She trailed off again, laughing nervously.

"Ah, I see." Edward leaned back. Most girls don't tell people that.. 'Do they?' Edward wondered. In his limited experience, he'd found that girls tend to lie about things like that. 'It must be her young age that makes her so honest.' Edward decided.

"Well, uh, I guess you can stay at my place for a night, if it's really going to take that long.." Savina's face burned with embarrassment.

"Nah, I don't want to be a burden." Edward replied, shaking his head and holding up a hand.

"Oh, okay." She said nervously, clasping her hands tightly in her lap, her face bright red again.

"Right then, seven it is." Edward nodded, making a decision on the time. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my brother.." He stood up. Savina noticed that he'd devoured everything without her noticing.

"Okay.." Savina said, standing as well. She moved towards him and reached for his dishes, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Don't tell anyone." He warned in a voice not a little dangerous.

"I know." Savina replied nonchalantly. His hand lingered for a moment more before he released her and quickly left the building, not looking back. Savina sank into his chair and buried her head in her hands. 'What have I gotten myself into?'


	2. Chapter 2

Part the Second

It's Not Her Home

Savina stuck her small brass key into the lock, and turned it, simultaneously hearing and feeling the satisfying click and the movement of the gears as it unlocked.

"Mrrrrow-rrow!" The cry came from the other side of the door, and, as Savina opened it, a gray-black streak of a cat rushed out and swirled around her legs.

"Hey, baby." She crooned, picking up the small bundle of fluff as she closed the door behind her. Her apartment wasn't much to speak of; two small, pale blue couches, one facing the single small window, hung with sheer eyelet curtains, the other facing a long cabinet that ran against the wall to the right, the only occupants of which were an old, bulky transistor radio and an overstuffed sketchbook. A small, medium-brown coffee table sat before the couches, and at the corner where their arms intersected, was a small matching end table. There was a tall lamp in the far left corner, made of smooth dark wood, with a cream cover on top, in addition to the bright overhead light which Savina promptly swiched on. The fan, of which the light was part of, began to rotate lazily. Savina turned to her immediate left, towards the kitchen.

The kitchen, half the size of the livingroom, was walled off by a line of two-tiered counters topped in pale blue formica, with a sink set in the middle of the lower tier. Before the upper surface, three barstools sat empty. There was a stove to the left, and long white cabinets, and a small refrigerator against the wall. To the right, a section of wall jutted out, separating the kitchen from the living room. The cat cried as Savina set it on on the floor, laminate tile made to imitate stone.

"You hungry, sweetie?" She cooed, and the cat let out a pitiful cry. "Okay, honey, dinner time." She pulled a small bag of cat food and almost over-filled the small bowl set next to a small glass-top table. The cat immidiately ran to it, pacified. The amount of food that cat ate was absolutely appalling.

Savina crossed the kitchen in two strides, and breezed through the livingroom in barely four. The hallway, perhaps just over four yards long, was to the right. Its wall jutted out to cover the side of the cabinets in the livingroom. To the right was an open door, and Savina stepped through this, into a small, sterile white bathroom, with a little tub at the far wall, a single counter with a sink and a toilet to the left, and to the right, a washing machine and dryer. Savina opened the counter, and pulled out a generic bottle of cleaner and a rag, and set to work.

She made rather short work of the bathroom, and moved on to the kitchen. The little cat sat in front of the table and watched her approach, a curious light in her wide, golden eyes.

"Secret." Savina murmured, and the cat replied in kind. Secret somewhat resembled a miniature Norweigan Forest cat; she was a dark, silver-gray, witha long black streak running from the top of her head to the tip of her tail, with stripes of black shooting out from this central mark. Her flanks were dotted with rosettes, her underside, paws, and chin were white fringed in brown. Her fur was long, thick, and softer than silk. Her legs were short and stocky, but graceful, as she pranced rather than walked. Her tail was perhaps overlong, but expressive, with all the thickness of a Turkish Angora's. Her eyes were almost silver-gold, the pupils rimmed in bright green, and the whole of her eye was rimmed in black. Her small, dark nose was framed by long whiskers that seemed almost permanently stuck forward in curiosity. She cocked her head.

"We have visitors coming, baby." Savina said, stooping down to rub her wide, triangular head. Secret purred, and Savina continued to clean.

Mostly it was just dishes left from breakfast, but there were a few spots on the stove that needed to be wiped up, and she gave the table a decent cleaning, as well. The livingroom mostly needed a light dusting, and her bedroom, containing a small single bed pushed against a far wall, a small window with the same sheer blue curtains as the livingroom, a white vanity table, a small blue upholstered stool, and a sorry excuse for a closet. She picked up the clothes on the floor, shoved them into the laundry basket, lightly dusted her bedside table and lamp, and replaced her tools.

Cleaning: Done. She thought to herself.

Savina stepped into the bathroom, and stripped off her uniform. It had a pleasant aroma of cocoa and coffee. She turned on the shower, and stood in front of the small oval mirror above the sink, waiting for the water to heat up. She gazed at herself critically; she was pretty enough. She'd been called a natural beauty on occasion, she had the blessing of full, luscious lips, and eyes that were not flat brown, the pupils being ringed in black, with a honeyed brown center, shot through with streaks of yellow and orange, while still being undeniably dark brown. It was only when one got close that one saw such things... 'But no one gets so close anymore..' She thought sadly, and then pushed the thought from her mind, and concentrated on her reflection. Her face was rather broken out, oily skin being a gift from her mother. Her eyes wandered lower; she was built well enough; freckle-dusted shoulders a bit wide, though, with just over a handful of breast on each side, a slim, flat stomach. But bottom heavy. Savina felt the steam from the shower then, and she nudged the cold water faucet just a bit, and stepped into the warm haven, already singing What a Catch, Donnie. How she missed her world. What a catch.

"Miss Flack said I still want you back."


	3. Chapter 3

Part The Third

Savina's Story

The dilapidated sign by the road said, in old, faded lettering, "Welcome to Watercrest Ardor", and, in smaller lettering below, "A Temporary Housing Committee". The grey sign may very well once have been white, but years of neglect and facing the elements unproteted had aged it. The road, too, was aged, and most of the cobblestones that had once paved it were gone, leaving only spots here and there of the old road. Just ahead lay the apartments themselves - old, grey, and worn down. They were large and square, with no embellishment to be seen whatsoever. It was places like this, these ugly buildings, that made Edward and Alphonse yearn for the beautiful, open meadows of their hometown, Resembool. The rolling, grassy meadows cloaked in sheep were the farthest thing from the sight of these sorry buildings.

Looking at the windows, Edward realized each building was only four stories tall. Savina was on the top. There were two large curtained windows lit from behind in one of the buildings. Perhaps they were hers.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Al wondered, turning to his brother.

"Yeah, pretty sure. Third building, fourth floor, fifth room on the right." Edward repeated Savina's directions to Al. Alphonse nodded, his armor clanking noisily as he walked. The door to the third building was made of a heavy wood, and the paint, grey like everything else, was flaking off. Edward yanked open the door, stepping into the lobby. Threadbare carpet, worn down by unknown multitudes of shuffling feet, a couch, whose arms were rent open, and the stuffing bulging out of the unseemly holes, a few near-broken chairs that looked uncomfortably lumpy, and a scarred but sturdy old coffee table in one corner, stairs in the other, and a smell of stale, moulding walls filled the place. There was a dim, dusty chandelier creaking above the small room. The wallpaper was faded, small roses littering the top half, blue stripes on the bottom, perhaps some sort of wainscoting. Edward made a left for the stairs, Al behind him. On the first landing they heard a woman screaming, and a small child crying. Edward closed his eyes tight for a moment, pity filling them when they opened, and continued up. The second floor was silent, save for a dripping sound, which grew closer until a drop of water hit Ed's head. He looked up and received a drop in the face. He shook his head, wiped it off, and kept going.

When they finally reached the fourth floor, there were only two doors with light spilling out from under them. The farthest was the fifth room on the right. Edward stepped cautiously over the thin carpeting, finally standing before the door. The number inscribed in the wood read "65" in rusted numbers that flowed and swirled so much the actual inscription could hardly be seen in the forest of lines.

"Ah.." Edward paused, glancing for a knocker or a doorbell, with no luck. He raised his fist and knocked softly. Inside, a cat cried twice, loudly. There was a muffled voice, followed by a loud thud which made the door shudder. Edward stepped back in surprise. The door slowly creaked open, and Savina's face popped out, framed by her long hair. She'd left it down and un-styled, the soft, straight tresses that floated around her reaching to her hips. She wore no makeup that he could detect, and his hunch in the coffee shop had been right. She looked a lot better without it. She also looked better with her hair down; her face was softer and less severe. She wore a dark, form-fitting pair of jeans, a tight, pale pink tank-top, and pink socks with a black-and-white cat on top. 'That's an odd outfit..' Edward thought. He'd never seen anything of the like. She still wore the choker, the silver feathers swinging from her movement.

"Heh.. Sorry about that, Secret tripped me up.." She trailed off, her eyes slowly rising, taking in all of Al's hulking form. "Uh, hey.." She said, shyly. Al nodded pleasantly, eyes glowing warmly.

"Hello. You must be Savina. I'm Alphonse, Edward's younger brother." He said in a cordial tone. The young voice that emanated from the armor echoed slightly.

"Hey." She said awkwardly, "D'you wanna..?" She trailed off, pulling the door aside and gesturing that they cross the threshold, smiling a little as she did so. She seemed to accept without question that Al was younger than Ed, the way a child accepts things. As she yanked the door open, a small grey tabby cat rushed out, swirling around Ed and Al's legs. "Mrrow-wrow!" It cried, greeting them, purring audibly.

"Secret..!" Savina scolded lightly. "She's really friendly." She said apologetically, glancing up at Ed and Al.

"It's okay." Al said, picking her up, and as he did, the little cat went completely limp, laying boneless across his large palm. "Uhm.. Does she normally go limp?" He asked, looking anxiously down at the little cat, who dangled from his arms.

"Yeah, she does that.. I think there's some ragdoll on her or something.." Savina replied, glancing at him. Alphonse shot her a worried look, and cradled Secret gently.

Edward glanced around. The room he'd stepped into was relatively small, floored in worn down powder blue carpeting. The walls and ceiling were white, but had a good deal of artwork hung on them, some framed, and some just mounted on thick, foam-like board. The kitchen was to their immediate left, and the living room straight ahead, with a hallway to the right, but he couldn't see what was down there, partly because he was at a bad vantage point, and partly because the light was off, leaving a cavernous, shadowy hole in the wall. The wall from the hallway extended to cover the sides of the cabinets, mirrored on the other side as the kitchen wall extended into the other side of the room, although the space behind it appeared to be empty.

"Did you make this?" He heard Al ask. He swiveled around, and saw Al standing before a painting.

"Yeah.." Savina laughed gently.

"Wow, that's amazing. You've got a lot of talent " Alphonse said, closely inspecting the drawing. Edward walked over to where he stood, peeking around his metal arm. It was a picture of a woman, leaning back as thogh blown by a breeze, in which the skirt of her gown and her hair were swept up behind her in intriging ripples and waves. One hand was outstretched at waist height, the knuckles pointed toward the viewer. There was an unreadable expression on her face. Her full lips were parted, her eyes hooded, the light reflecting off her high cheekbones. Edward smiled.

"Thank you!" Savina replied brightly, sidling up to Alphonse, smiling.

"Who is that?" Edward asked quietly.

"It's not really anyone.." Savina said, suddenly blushing. She loved attention towards her work, but she always got terribly shy and never really knew how to reply to compliments.

"Wow.. You made this up? Big brother would never have the patience for something like that." Al said.

"Shut up." Edward muttered, a little irked. Savina seemed to be more at ease around Al than himself, and Al wasn't the type to know how to get information from people while at the same time hiding that fact that the information was needed from said person.

"Yeah.." Savina chuckled, dismissing the comment for lack of anything to say. "So, have you eaten yet?" She piped up. Al nodded.

"Brother and I stopped at a restaurant a little while ago."

"Oh, okay. I'm not really a great cook, anyways." Savina's tone lilted with laughter.

"I think this makes up for that." Edward said, turning to face them. He had wandered over to a painting of a ballet dancer. Savina felt the blood rush to her face again, and laughed nervously.

"Oh, that's just my sorry reproduction of one of Degas's paintings.."

"Who's Degas?" Al asked.

"Oh, Edgar Degas.. he was a famous painter.. I believe he was French.. He did a lot with ballerinas."

"French?" Al remarked.

"I don't recall..." Edward trailed off, sticking up half of his lower lip as he glanced up at the ceiling, pondering the word.

"Oh, well, France is a country.. In Europe."

"Europe?" Al inquired, glancing at his brother. He was gazing fixedly on Savina.

"Europe is a continent connected to Asia, which is another continent. Kinda like how Amestris is connected to Xing. So I guess Amestris is kinda like Europe and Xing would be Asia in my world.." She trailed off, glancing at them. Judging by the look on Edward's face, they were thoroughly confused. "Uhm, they're like countries." She finished lamely.

"Heh.. That's kind of interesting." Al said, to break the awkward silence. Edward glanced around at the paintings.

"So..." Savina said, moving towards the couches. The two brothers followed her, Ed and Al on the larger one facing the radio, Savina on the smaller one facing the window. After a bit of uncomfortable silence, Savina began, "So how about that interrogation you were planning on?" This remark was aimed at Edward. His head snapped up; obviously he had been lost in thought.

"Hmm?" He said.

"What do you want to know?" She replied. "I don't remember much, but I can tell you the little I do recall."

"Hmm.. What happened before you crossed it?" Edward asked. Both the boys leaned forward in anticipation. Savina screwed up her face, and leaned on the armrest.

"It was a little after my nineteeth birthday.." She was suddenly cut off by a "Come again?" From Edward. "Huh?" She said, confused, cocking her head to one side and staring at them, brows knitted together.

"There's no way you're past fifteen, if that! You even sound young!" Edward sputtered, flummoxed.

"Of course I am, I'm ninteen, and I know I sound little, I always have, and I will be twenty by the end of the year!" She retorted defiantly.

"When were you born?" Edward said quickly, in an attempt to trick her.

"December twenty-fifth, 1990." Savina answered just as quickly.

"HA! I knew it!" Edward gloated. "It's only 1916!"

"Yeah, that's the weird thing. When I left my world," For she'd begun thinking of them as her world, and this world, "It was 2010. But when I got dropped in here, it was 1916. I've been thinking there's some sort of weird time thing going on... this world is almost exactly like mine when IT was 1916 except, in my world your alchemy doesn't exist." Savina's tone had softened as she pondered this revelation.

"But.. But.. 2010? That's impossible!" Edward raged.

Al, who had thus far been mum, wondered,"No alchemy.. How odd.."

"Yeah, it's possible. There's technology you've never even heard of, and no, no alchemy. Everything we make, we make it mostly with machines... I know." She added, to the look of utter amazement and confusion marked in Edward's face, and, guessing Al, under the amour, wore the same expression. Edward shook his head, as if to clear it, already disbelieving her. Just another false lead. But something inside him told him that was wrong, so he pursued it.

"Let's save that for another time. What happened before?" He said, blunt as ever.

"Well, as I previously began, it was shortly after my nineteenth birthday. I was finally happy with my life. I had an amazing concentration for my AP art class, I'd been steadily improving my art, a boyfriend that I loved, and.. was planning to marry.." Her eyes softened, and her countenance fell with sadness. She shook her head slightly, and continued, "and I was finally on good terms with my family. I was legal, happy, and college-bound. But then, something happened."

"What?" Ed interrupted. Savina glared at him from the corner of her eye, taking no heed to his remark.

"I got in this huge fight with my mom...And well, it was bad. We were screaming and yelling, and her and my younger sister were ganging up on me, and the whole thing was a mess over something dumb."

"So.. What?" Edward said softly when she didn't continue. Savina turned her face away, continuing quietly.

"I.. I ran off into the woods." Her voice was strangely calm. "I remember thinking just how much I hated her- both of them, at that moment, and wishing I hadn't stayed. Cause, uhm, my best friend was going to pick me up the day after Christmas and I would live with her. But I told her to wait until something bad happened, like that big fight. So I'd decided that when it was dark, I'd go back in and call her, and she'd be there by the next day, and I'd only come back to get my stuff... anyways, I was sitting at the base of this big old tree, with all these Tarzan vines hanging down, I always went there to get away from them, I hate crying in front of people, and it's in about the middle of the woods, they weren't really big, you know, so I was just sitting there... She just... She was always so mean to me..." Savina trailed off once more, looking dejected. She blinked three times, rapidly.

"What'd she say?" Prodded Al gently, obviously saddened. Edward, too, looked at her softly, feeling pity. Savina swallowed, looking away.

"Oh you know, the usual. I'm worthless, she should've dropped me in the toilet when I was born and flushed me away, I have no talent, I'll never get to college, nobody cares about my art, going on and on... You know, that kinda stuff. Nothing big." She laughed as her voice cracked, trying to sound cheerful. Al shook his armored head.

"How can a mother say things like that to her child?" He wondered aloud. Edward sat stone still, an indecipherable look on his face. 'Maybe that's it... what's so off about her.' He thought. 'Not only has she been dumped in a strange world with no way to get back home, but life really dealt her a crappy hand, too.' Edward frowned as Savina chuckled again.

"So that was that, and I was sitting there, kicking myself for not leaving for my friend's house earlier, and then I notice it's really quiet. Usually there's squirrels, and birds, and all sorts of things making noise, but it was completely silent. So I stood up, cause I had this really weird feeling, really strong, like someone was watching me, and I had this bad feeling in my gut, like I should get out of there now. So I start going back home, not wanting to go, but I sure as hell wasn't staying there, walking, you know, trying to keep myself calm, and trying to look like it, too, in case some pedo or something was after me. So then I chance to look up, and there's this this thing in the sky. And I'm rooted to the spot. This wave of fear just washes over me, head to foot," Here she gestured with her hands, sweeping them across her body, "And I'm just staring at it. It's this big, swirling black hole in the sky." She gestured again, waving her hands around in a vaguely circular shape, "Now my first thought is, oh my god, the earth is getting eaten by a wormhole, but then I realize it's closer, just ahead of me. And it feels.. Bad. It's like.. It sounds silly, but like I can sense some kind of... evil intent, or something. And it's getting bigger. Then I just.. took off, and I'm running like hell, I mean, I'm booking it outta there, man. But all of a sudden, I'm nowhere. There's nothing. Just me and.. Nothing. It's all white, and I'm not standing on anything, and I think, 'this is what astronauts do', and then I feel this... presence. I turn around, and there's this invisible thing, and all I can see is this leering, malevolent grin, and then.. I woke up in a gutter down the road." She shuddered visibly, her heart still longing for a home to which she could not return.

"I'm so sorry.." Al said softly. Up until then, they had both been entranced by her tale. She was not the best of storytellers, but it was their familiarity with the subject that had held them riveted, and the memory of the occurrence which had Savina staring off into space, oddly calm about the whole string of events. Her life had been ruined, and she was in pain. But she was still okay.


	4. Chapter 4

Part the Fourth

Amnesia

"How can you stay so calm about it?" Alphonse asked.

"I honestly don't know. I guess I've done my crying, and if I'm stuck here, then, oh well." She said, then added, "I've never really been able to cry very much at all, really. When I lost Secret, I didn't cry, I was just.. Sad. I don't know, it's weird." They sat in silence for a bit, digesting her words. Somehow, they didn't question that Secret had been lost at all.

"So anyone else up for some tea?" Savina asked brightly, changing the subject. At Edward's assent, she meandered off into the kitchen. Secret, who had, until now, been curled up on Savina's feet, followed her owner into the kitchen.

"You can come sit in here, if you want." She turned to a cabinet and took out and old-fashioned tea kettle as Ed and Al walked towards the small dining table. "Isn't this thing so clever? I don't know of anyone who still uses these in my world. I've only just got the knack of it, though, difficult little bugger." She said of the kettle. She seemed to be in a better mood, chatting away about this and that.

"So tell me-" Edward began, "You work at the Secret's Garden Coffee Shoppe.. Why is your kitten's name also Secret? What happened to her?" He looked dubiously at Secret, who cried silently and sashayed over, tail up and curling, wanting attention.

"Oh.. Well, in my world, she just disappeared, a few months before her first birthday. It happened quite a lot with our cats.. They'd just be gone one morning and not come back. I don't know if wild dogs got them or what, but I never saw Secret again.. Pretty bad, huh? I promised myself I wouldn't let any of them fade into obscurity, but they have. Even the old Secret, the first one, I've forgotten most of our memories. The only one I remember clearly was.. I was sitting on the couch, watching Storm Hawks, I think it was called, and she was laying next to my leg on her back, and I was petting her tummy. I guess there's no help for it.. Anyhow, there's no connection, if that's what you're asking. But then, when I found her," She gestured to Secret, who looked up at her, "wandering the streets, I took her home. She's so alike in everything she does that she may very well be her twin. Or the same cat. She is a cat you know, not a kitten. She's very tiny, huh? You see, I have a theory." Her tone now took on a pompous inflection, "That for every person in my world, there is a match to be found here. Like, there's alter-Secret. And I've seen other people that look just like people I knew before. An alter-Autumn, alter-Larissa, alter-Al.. not you Alphonse, a different one. Albert, his name was. But you see, there's some weird thing going on here I can't really explain it."

"You say alter before the name.. what does that mean?" Edward asked.

"Oh, just that, coming from my world and being prejudiced, I consider this an 'alter world', just as you must consider mine an 'alter world', or some other dimension or something. A parallel world. It means parallel, kind of." Here the tea kettle let out a loud shriek and Savina turned around and took it off the burner, which she promptly turned off. Taking a large tea bag, she stuck it in the pot to brew. "Hokay, so." She said. "Was there anything else, cause that's all I remember." She was obviously referring to her story and the Gate.

"Not unless you know how it sucked you in like that. Someone must have opened it from your side." Edward said.

"Hmm, yeah, that's what I thought, too." Savina murmured.

"You seem to know an awful lot about it." Al remarked.

"Well, I've been doing research, silly. Do you really think I'm going to be dumped god knows where and not know how it happened? Though, that hasn't worked quite as well as I'd hoped.. There really isn't much on it that I can get my hands on.."

"There isn't much in the military section, either." Edward said. "I've gone in there a bunch of times, but there's only a few vague references."

"Oh, the place where you have to have a military license to get in?" Savina asked, leaning against a counter. "I tried to go in there, but I got shooed away. I sneaked in a couple times, but someone always accosted me before I could really get my hands on anything." She shrugged.

"Yeah, that's the place." Edward laughed. She had a knack for making everyday occurrences seem like exhilarating adventures, just by the tone of her voice.

"Hmm, let's see.." Savina murmured, opening a cabinet near the fridge, and pulling out three cups. Edward glanced quickly at Al. "You know, last time I tried to do this, I burnt myself.. It really hurt!" Savina said to no one in particular as she began to pour the tea. She came out of this one unscathed, however, and carried two cups over to Ed and Al.

"Ed, what do I do?" Al whispered urgently to his brother, knowing full well he couldn't drink the tea.

"Just act natural." Edward replied vaguely, waving his hand as Savina returned with her tea.

"Oh!" She said, jumping up. "I just remembered, I brought home leftover cookies from Secret's.. No, not you, sweetie." She said, as the little cat hopped up from her place by Edward's boots and shot over. "We bake new cookies and stuff every other day, to keep them fresh. I'm not allowed to do it, I butcher them every time, but if there's anything left we divvy it up and take it home." She carried a small plate of assorted cookies over and set it down in the middle of the table, taking her seat. Secret followed her and put her paws on the seat. "Secret's really not supposed to beg.. Heh, I guess I spoil her.."

"Is it okay to give her cookies?" Al asked.

"If you like, just don't overdo it, or she won't stop begging from you. It can get quite annoying, actually. Just no chocolate." Edward and Alphonse sat against the wall across from Savina, whose back was to the living room. Secret swirled around their legs, every now and then taking a bit of cookie from Al. "So, have I been of any use?" Savina asked, swallowing a bite of sugar cookie.

"To be blunt, no. Unless we can find out who opened the gate and why, then there's nothing that can help us." Edward said apologetically, shoving half a cookie into his mouth.

"Oh.. Well, ah well. I suppose I'm still completely useless." She threw her hands in the air in a sign of defeat and slumped down in her chair. "You don't like my tea?" She said, her eyes lighting on Al's full cup.

"Oh, no, it's not that.." He began hastily, but Savina cut him off.

"It's fine, I'm not the master tea ninja, I'm just lucky the thing didn't spontaneously combust this time." This sudden remark brought a laugh out of all three.

"Actually," Edward said, suddenly serious, "I don't like to show people this, but.. Al, take off your helmet."

"What? But, brother.." Al protested. Edward cut him off.

"It's fine. Just.. Show her. She has a right to know."

"Because he didn't drink my tea? It's not a big deal.." Savina said, but was cut off by Edward, who seemed to be making a sport of interrupting people.

"No. You told us your story.. Now we'll tell you ours. Al, show her." Alphonse sighed wearily, then reached up and took off his helmet. Savina's eyes widened in surprise, and she sat still for a moment, warm fear washing over her. Then,

"Hey, that's pretty cool! Do you like, carry stuff in you? Dude, let me ride in you!" She exclaimed, her eyes shining deviously.

"Uh.. What..?" Al said meekly, as Edward burst out laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" Al and Savina said almost in unison.

"It's just that that.. Nobody.." He tried to talk between bursts of laughter, but ended up making himself giggle even louder. When finally he stopped, wiping away tears, he repeated, "Nobody ever acted like that when they found out Al's empty." He knocked the side of the armor with his fist as he talked.

"Oh.. Okay, so how's that work?" Savina asked.

"Well, I attached Al's soul to the armor here." Edward said, pointing to the blood rune, "He can move the armor and well.. You know."

"Ah. So if say, you take off his helmet, or his arm, then does the soul shrink into the armor, or does it stay the same?"

"That's not quite how it works. Human souls aren't tangible, so they can't really.." Edward searched for a way to say it.

"Oh, so it just happens." Savina said, with all the simplicity and innocence of a child.

"To put it simply, yes." Edward admitted, chuckling.

"So do you carry stuff in you? Oh, you can hide people in you!" This last bit was said with such forceful enthusiasm that Al leaned back and whimpered. Edward snickered.

"N.. n-no.." Al whimpered.

"Aww, that'd be so cool, though! Oh, what if someone snuck into you, and just started living inside your armor, and you couldn't get them out, and they did all this weird stuff, like at the market, just stuck their arm out and knocked off and entire row of fruit while you walked by, or grabbed stuff, and took it in. Oh, what if it was too big to fit in the hole, and they just tried to slam it in from the inside, and all you saw was this hand holding a box or something, trying to get it in, or in the middle of the night, they'd just scratch at the inside of the armor, and be like, "Hey.. Hey.. How's it ah.. How's it goin' out there?" Her voice, imitating the imaginary person, was soft, quiet, and more than a little creepy. "Ooh, ooh, or if they grabbed stuff and just threw it at random people, like, you'd just see this arm come out from under your helmet, grab something really fast, and chuck it at the closest person, and then slither back inside really fast?" Savina said loudly, bouncing up and down, laughing, her idea obviously having gotten her hyper. Edward had long since dissolved into another fit of high-pitched giggles, and was bent double on his chair. "Awh, I would totally do that!" She exclaimed, he eyes wide and shining. She looked over at Edward, who was still laughing so hard it seemed likely he'd tumble out of his chair, or chortle up his guts. Seeing him made Savina laugh hysterically as well, and Al watched as the two clutched their stomachs and rocked back and forth, unable to stop.

"Every one's picking on me!" Alphonse wailed helplessly, to no one in particular, placing his head back on.

"Oh.. Oh, god.. Oh, god.." Savina said, wiping away a stream of laughter-induced tears. "I can't remember the last time I laughed like that."

"Neither can I!" Edward replied. "Sorry, Al, it was just so funny.." He said, looking over at his brother. He chuckled a little.

"What?" Savina asked. Secret was staring at her like she was a retard. "Don't give me that look, that was hilarious, and you know it!" The little cat turned around and walked over to the fridge, laying down with her back to them. "Silly little thing." Savina muttered.

"She sure does have quite a personality." Alphonse said. Savina nodded in agreement.

"She's silly, but very smart. She's so expressive and vocal, too! I love it." She confirmed. "Oh.. I don't know if this helps, but a few years back, I got interested in alchemy. I never did anything, I just looked up stuff on the computer. None of it was terribly interesting, not like the alchemy you have here."

"Computer?" Edward inquired, testing the word.

"Eh.. It's like.. I really can't explain it. It's this machine that lets you do all sorts of stuff, write documents, look at pictures, read stuff it has a screen, and a mouse.. That's this clicky thing, and a keyboard I don't.. I can't explain it.." She repeated. Ed and Al, for the most part, had envisioned a loudly humming typewriter with a piano, a button, and a bit of wire screening attached to it. "Anyhow." She said, but didn't continue.

"So.. You didn't do anything? Just researched the concept?" Edward asked after a while.

"Pretty much. Like I said, alchemy's a lot different there."

"What was it like?"

"Well, it's a dead science now, been dead for hundreds of years. It was pretty much just a bunch of crackpots trying to make gold and immortal life in a cauldron."

"That's what is was like here, too.." Edward murmured.

"Well, it seems, that where, here, you advanced in alchemy, we advanced in technology. That's where things start to branch off." Savina said. Edward nodded his assent, looking solemnly at her.

"You've told us your story Now we'll tell you ours." He repeated. "I suppose I'll start from the beginning, it's the best place in this situation. Alphonse and I lived in a small town called Resembool, in the eastern area. We were happy, and our.. Our.. father" He said it through gritted teeth, angrily, "loved our mother very much. But then.. He left. And our mother became depressed."

"She was happy during the day, for the most part," Al said, picking up the story, "Sometimes we'd catch her staring off into space, but other than that she showed no sign of sadness, and she'd still say things like "when your father comes home". But at night.. We knew she cried. Sometimes we could her through the walls, and then we would get sad, too. So, we started studying alchemy. Our mother was amazed that we could understand our father's alchemy books. We'd show her the things we transmuted, because they made her happy. That's the only reason we did it because it made her smile, and we vowed to get better, so we could keep her from being sad ever again."

"And then," Edward began again, "One day as we came home from a trip to the market, we found her lying on the floor unconscious. I told Al to stay with her while I went for help. I ran to our friend's house, faster than I've ever run in my life, and her grandmother, called the doctor. By the time I got back, Al had woken her, and gotten her into her bed. Then, after the doctor saw her, he told us she was sick, and had been for some time, but hadn't told anyone because she didn't want us to worry about her."

"Not long after that, she died." Al began again, "We wrote letters to all the places our father could possibly be - but he never answered, and wasn't at her funeral. We stayed in that house for a while longer, studying alchemy. Then, one stormy night, while we were having dinner with our neighbors, we heard an announcer over the radio saying that the sandbags weren't holding the river back. Ed and I rushed out to help, but our efforts didn't do much, and our transmutation circle was washed away. It was then that a strange woman from out of town showed up."

"It was this woman who eventually became our teacher, and gave us the training from hell." Both boys visibly shuddered. "She sent us to survive on a deserted island for a month, and to figure out the riddle, "One is all, all is one." Every night we were attacked by a man who eventually turned out to be a man who worked at their deli. So, after the month was over, and we'd figured out the riddle, she took us to her home, where we began the real training.. The training from hell." They both shuddered again. They obviously didn't like to talk about it.

"Brutal." Savina commented.

"It was. But when we returned, we had advanced so much in our skill that we were thankful for it." Al said. "We even fixed our neighbor's barn after it collapsed. After that, we dove even deeper into our father's alchemy books than we ever had before. We wanted to bring her back, through human transmutation, even though it's illegal."

"On the night of the transmutation," Edward picked up, "We bought all the ingredients for the human body - Water, 35 liters. Carbon, 20 kilograms. Ammonia, 4 liters. Lime, 1.5 kilograms. Phosphorous, 800 grams. Salt, 250 grams. Saltpeter, 100 grams. Sulfur, 80 grams. Fluorine, 7.5, iron, 5, silicon, 3 grams, and trace amounts of 15 other elements." He recited the familiar elements and amounts, having memorized them a long time ago. "We'd reviewed our notes, the books, and made sure everything was perfect. We drew the circle exactly like it said to, we had text references, picture references, we made not one single mistake. It wasn't our theory that was wrong, our theory was flawless it was us."

"It began okay," Al said, "It all seemed to be working. But then, something went wrong. We were both sucked into the gate.. And when I awoke, I was like this, and Edward was on the floor, bleeding."

"While I was at the gate, that thing you saw, poured information into my head. I felt like my head was going to explode.. All the truths of the world were being stuffed into me. And then, I was so close, I could see our mother, and knew I was barely a second away from being able to successfully transmute a human being, then it stopped. And the thing, god, all, one, it called itself so many things, told me that was all I could see for the price I paid, and it took my leg." Here Edward stuck out his left leg, and, as Savina watched, rolled up his pants to reveal a gleaming leg of metal. "When I came back, and saw the monster we had created, and found Al gone, I returned and gave my right arm for his soul, which I attached to this armor. After that, after I knew he was safe, I passed out." He had rolled his pants back down, and had begun taking off his jackets, and was now in the sleeveless black undershirt, and his entire right arm was metal up to the shoulder.

"After Ed's wounds healed, a certain Colonel Mustang came to pay a visit, having heard about a gifted young alchemist living in that area." Al said. "After visiting our old house, and seeing the stains from the thing we created, he was directed to the Rockbell house, where Ed was recuperating, and offered him a job as a state alchemist."

"I then decided to undergo surgery, and have automail attached." Edward said, gesturing towards his arm. "They told me recovery time would take about three years.. But I didn't have time for that. I was ready in one. Before we left, we burnt down our house so we'd never have a place to go back to, and never have a reason to look back. And since that moment, we've been searching for the philosopher's stone, so we can regain our bodies."

"We've had only false leads so far, as you can tell." Al said. Savina sat still for a while, digesting all this.

"So.. That's the only reason you were interested in me, because you thought I'd somehow lead you to it?" She asked accusingly. Both boys were quiet, looking ashamed. Savina sighed. "I knew it had to be something like that. Ah, well. I'm sorry I couldn't help, really." Ed and Al looked up in shock. They had expected a tantrum. That was what they would have received from Winry, and she was the only other girl they knew on personal terms. They're so different.. Edward thought. He smiled. And Savina smiled back, a weary smile that spoke of deep sorrow, a look Edward could relate to. Al noticed the look exchanged between the two and felt an odd feeling. He couldn't quite name it.. "So anyhow." Savina said, interrupting his train of thought, "Was there anything else you wanted?" She asked.

"Well, not really.." Edward began, and then looked at the small clock that hung over Al. His eyes widened in surprise. Savina followed his gaze.

"Holy crap! It midnight seventeen!" She exclaimed. Al chuckled at this remark, and Edward gave her a quizzical look. "It's ah.. A joke my friend and I had.. Midnight seventeen. He grilled hot dogs when he was drunk quite amusing, really.." She trailed off weakly. "Anyhow." She ended.

"Aw, jeez, the military rooms closed at nine.." Edward said.

"So what now?" Al asked.

"Well.." Savina began. She was blushing hotly, "You could stay here. I've got some extra blankets, and the couches are open.."

"Aw, I hate to impose, but I guess we have no choice, huh, Al?" Edward asked apologetically, rubbing the back of his head. His eyebrows were knitted together, and a frown of confusion pulled down his mouth.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" Savina laughed. "I'll go get the blankets, then, and leave you to bicker amongst yourselves who gets the bigger couch." And, this said, she pushed back her chair and made a beeline for the hallway. "Oh," She called out, switching on the hall light as the boys moved out of the kitchen, "The bathroom's the second door on the left. The first is the closet," They heard a door creak open, "And on the right is mine. Just give a yell if you need anything," The door slammed shut, and her voice grew gradually louder as they settled on their respective couches, "If I don't wake up, just pop in, and help yourself to anything." She appeared at the hall entrance, her face obscured by two thick, heavy-looking comforters. "All right." She said, handing the top one to Al, and the second to Edward. It was a deep burgundy, one side embellished with a swirling heart pattern. Al's was a midnight blue, with a fancy star pattern on one side. It was very soft, Edward noticed.

Oh, I don't really need it.." Al said.

"Eh. It's there if you want it. Now, did you wanna go to bed now, or would you like to stay up a little longer?" She asked, her hands on her hips.

"Whatever you want to do." Edward said.

"Well, I'm not particularly tired, how about you?" She asked. Edward confessed that he wasn't, and Al added, when her glance turned to him, that he didn't sleep. Ever. "Well, alrighty, then." She said, sitting on the nearest couch, next to Al. "What shall we discuss, then? Being intellectuals, and all." Something in her tone made her guests laugh. She was definitely a funny girl, when she tried to be.


	5. Chapter 5

Part the Fifth

A New Day

Savina was fully awake, and had been for some time, but her eyes had remained closed. The fluffy blankets were piled around her, encasing her in warmth and comfort. She was trying desperately to hang onto her dream. She couldn't remember it... The dream was foggy. Ah, well. All she wanted was to remember her old life. She ached to be back home. It shouldn't have turned out like this, she should've moved in with Liz, went to Citrus High, remained with her friends, and gotten married and had kids. This is not right!

At last she grunted and opened her eyes. Her small clock read 8:36. She grunted again, tossing the blankets away. Work. And guests. Secret popped up from the floor, where she'd been patiently waiting for Savina to wake up, cried out for attention.

"I'm going, I'm going." Savina muttered. She pulled herself out of bed, and stumbled over to the small, round mirror above her appointed vanity table, which was really just a rather small rectangular table made of dark wood,with makeup and hair clips and ties scattered about it. She quickly ran a brush through her long, tangled hair, pulled it into a ponytail, and secured her bangs on top of her head with a plain black clip. She walked to her closet, almost fully awake now, but still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Hmm, what do I want to wear..? She asked herself. She ruffled through the various articles of clothing, finally choosing a pair of black skinny jeans, which she'd had to alter them herself because nobody here wore them, a white undershirt, and a blue polo shirt, with alternating light and dark horizontal stripes. Guess I'm a Preppie today.. She thought.

"Hm." She sighed to herself, standing hands on hips in the threshold of her small closet. "Better go check on 'em, huh?" She asked Secret, who only cried for food. Savina shook her head, smiled in a self-depricating way, and walked out into the hallway. She could see both the blankets neatly folded on the arm of the smaller couch, which had its side facing her as she strode the length of the hall. As she entered the livingroom, Secret on her heels, she found a note on the coffee table. She picked it up, already knowing they'd left. Scrawled in a messy script, it read:

Dear Savina,

I'm sorry we have to leave on such short notice. We don't mean to be rude, and we thank you very much for all your hospitality, but Edward has his exams today, and I'm going with him to try and keep him from getting into too much trouble. Edward wants to meet up again, at the entrance to the military HQ, at one in the afternoon, if it's convenient for you.

Thank you again,

Alphonse Elric.

Savina sighed. Military HQ? Dead center of the city. Yeah, I can find that, She thought. "Well, Secret, I've an invitation to HQ, and I've not done anything wrong!" She excalimed, heading to the kitchen. "Let's get you some breakfast, huh?" She asked the little cat, who cried impatiently. Savina chuckled. "Well, I never!" She muttered. Secret just stared at her in annoyance, tail flicking.

It was almost one, according to a questioned passerby, and Savina had been wandering the streets for an indefinite period of time, to herself, at least. She d struck out an hour ago Or has it been two? She questioned herself. Hmm. She'd decided to get out a bit, on one of her rare days off, and, just to amuse herself, had even been seen shake tramping down a back alley, though it was a sorry impression of what she considered Josh Ramsay's wicked dance moves. She had even gone so far as to recite the line "try a little more, a little more, a little more / slap you like a bitch and you take it like a whore" while air-slapping an alarmed citizen and wagging her butt at them before trotting off and nearly tripping over a curb. She'd always been a rather shy creature, but she'd found that doing things like that in a place where you knew virtually no one was exhilarating. She was now coming around the corner of a whitewashed building, sharp and square and the epitome of man-made ugliness, when she suddenly came to a great courtyard within the city. She stepped out onto the brick-paved streets, lined with the best-known shops. To her left, at the north end of the great plaza, was the headquarters of the Central City branch of government. She looked at the building, so white in the bright Amestris sun that it was hard to look at for long periods of time. She gazed at the grand stairway leading to the pillared.. Well, porch just doesn t fit somehow, she mused, What would it be called..? An overhang? Yes, an overhang. She decided, which was held up by pillars of an enormous girth. The whole building s intimidating, looming over the court like that! Savina accused it, stepping proudly across the open space. She saw two figures emerge from the depths of the building, a rare regurgitation, she reckoned.

She knew at once that it was Edward and Alphonse. They were unmistakable, Ed in his long red coat, and Al next to him, amour gleaming. They could have been spotted a mile off. They were descending the stairs, and seemed to be looking her way. Savina waved, receiving an answering wave from Al. Then again, She thought, looking down at herself, I could be spotted a mile off, too..

She had changed into a black shirt she d decorated herself.. The image she d painted on the front was a woman s face, very mysterious and beautiful. It was very dramatic by itself, even without the cuts she d made. The back was cut up into thick strips, which were then tied together, the sleeves were cut into strips that were knotted at the top and dangled from the shoulder, and she d edited the neckline, as well, cutting out the shoulders so there were two straps on each side, one to hold the shirt up, and another from which the sleeves had been cut and tied, that were set on the very edge of the slope of her shoulders. The neckline was deep, giving just a hint of a shadow from the space between her breasts. Add shiny black pants, and shiny silver slip-on shoes, and she definitely looked out of place in Amestris. As she approached the boys, she realized they were staring aghast at her choice of clothing.

"That's an.. Interesting shirt.." Al noted. Savina smiled, and nodded.

"My best friend and I used to do this a lot." She said, looking down. "She always used to make them better, but I think I can match her now."

"I'll say". Edward said, crossing his arms. "You're not supposed to go parading yourself around in clothes like that; you don't know who's watching. Looking like that, you're a walking target."

"Oh.." Savina replied, not really having thought of that aspect. "But I like this shirt.."

"Well, regardless of whether or not you like it, you've got to at least try to blend in."

"Well, you don't exactly blend in yourself." Savina parried.

"I can handle myself. You can t." Edward replied simply.

"Yes I can!" Savina objected. Edward just gave her a quizzical look. "What? I can!" She all but whined. He shook his head.

"I can tell you can't. Anyone can see that. You don't pay attention to what's going on around you. That s what makes you an easy target. That, and the fact that you dress like that on your days off."

Savina just pouted, defeated. After a short silence, Edward spoke up again.

"Come on, let's get moving." He elbowed his brother lightly, and motioned for Savina to follow.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Somewhere we can have more privacy." Edward replied.

"Oh.. So, how'd your exams go?"

"I passed." He replied simply.

"Ah."

"Brother always passes." Alphonse interjected, who, until now, had held his silence. Savina nodded.

"Smart lil bugger". She said to the group at large, receiving an inquiring sidelong glance from Edward.

Edward led them around the stairs, and they stood in it's great shadow.

"I want to come with you." Savina said, looking Edward straight in the face before he could begin to speak. He stared at her incredulously for a moment before regaining his composure.

"No." He said firmly. His tone broached no argument. The girl certainly has moxy, he thought to himself.

"Why not? I could help!" She took a step towards him.

"No you can't. You'll only be a burden and a liability. We can't have that... What we do is dangerous, and you've got no way to defend yourself." He was beginning to get exasperated, crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her reply.

"But you could teach me how to fight; I've always wanted to learn how to do that!"

"It took years for us to acquire the skills we have now!" Edward rounded on her. "We have neither the time, or the inclination to teach you. And besides, you just don't have the mindset for it; I can see that just looking at you."

"I can try." Savina countered, her tone dangerous. Edward sighed.

"Like I said before, you're just a liability. Trying can get you killed... and we've seen enough of that."

"... But I've got to be here for a reason... Things like that don't just happen..." Savina said, half to herself.

"She's right, brother." Al finally spoke up. "There has to be some logical reason the Gate opened up and brought her here,"

"No, Al. It was just a freak incident. Like rain on a sunny day." Ed replied gently.

"But maybe we could help her get back." Al said hopefully,

"How? We don't have the knowledge to do something like that." Edward sighed. But, Al, who had taken a shine to Savina, would not be deterred.

"We could teach her how to fight... you always get bored on long train rides, and there's plenty of free time when we stop at a town."

"What? No! I said she's not coming!" Ed fumed. The brothers had become oblivious of Savina's presence.

"It's not like she'd be fighting alongside us, Ed. If it gets too dangerous, we could just put her up at an inn."

"And who's going to pay for that?" Ed demanded. Al sighed.

"You don't even TOUCH most of the money the state gives you for research!"

"Yeah, for RESEARCH, not for putting HER up in a hotel! And she has a cat!" Edward rounded on Savina again. "The LAST thing I need is a moocher hanging off me!"

"I am NOT a moocher!" Savina stared defiantly at Edward, who gave her a sardonic glare.

"And what about your cat? Would you abandon her on a dime like that?"

Savina was silent for a moment. "No... I was just hoping... that maybe she could come with us." She murmured, eyes downcast. Edward was flummoxed. It was one thing after another with this girl!

"We don't have the means to care for it, Savina. We just can't lug her around, let alone adequate food and water."

"Well, I taught her to walk on a leash.. and she always stays right by me..." Savina offered.

"I could keep food in my armor. This empty body has to be good for something." Al offered, always eager to have a cat.

"No, Al, it'll only slow you down. And dragging a cat all over the country is no way to care for it. It needs a home."

"She can live in my armor!"

"Al, no! We can't have a cat!"

"Please?" Savina interjected, her eyes, trained on Edward, were pleading. She tried to smile winningly, and her smile was like the rising sun.

"No!" Ed glared at her.

"It could work, brother... She seems like a good cat."

"Exactly! Just... please?" Savina turned puppy eyes Ed's way.

"Don't look at me like that." He said gruffly, stuffing his hands into his pockets, and shifting uncomfortably. He looked away; It was the same look Winry gave him when she saw an expensive new gadget. "This is totally irresponsible." Savina opened up her mouth to plead again, but Edward held up his hand. "Save your breath. Just remember that I warned you if you get hurt. I'm washing my hands of the blame. We're leaving on an 8:30 train tomorrow morning. Meet us there and pack lightly. Come on, Al." Edward turned to go, and had already taken a few brisk steps when Savina lunged on him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug that nearly knocked him down.

'Hey, HEY!" He yelled, caught off guard. "What're you DOING?"

"Thank you!" Savina squealed, hugging him tighter. Edward grunted.

"Get off me." he muttered. Savina obliged, rushing over to hug Alphonse, too. Oh, crap. Ed thought. What did I get myself into?


	6. Chapter 6

Part the Sixth

Pilgrim

"Secret!" Savina swooped down the pick up the little cat as she bolted out of the door to greet her. "We're going with Edward and Alphonse!" She said happily. The cat cocked her head quizzically. "Come on, honey." She set the cat down, and headed for her bedroom. On her way in, she'd informed her landlord that she was leaving. The burly, ruddy-complexioned man had been annoyed at the suddenness of it. Savina pulled the messenger bag she'd bought at a shop on her way home off her back. It was a clever little thing; it was large, had many pockets, and not only had a shoulder strap, but two on either side so that it could also be worn as a backpack. It was made of a thick and sturdy, soft greenish-gray corduroy material, with two brass clasps to hold down the top. She opened it, tossed it on her bed, and dived into her closet. All her favourite clothes were dirty. Savina sighed, and took the laundry bag into the bathroom, and dumped its contents unceremoniously into the washer, threw in perhaps too much detergent, and unleashed its cleaning powers. She grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, and other such toiletries and carried them back to her bed, dumping them on the soft surface. She stood there a moment, hands on hips, head set at an angle, then went back to the bathroom and emptied her cabinet of various aspirins and minor-injury medical supplies. She also decided to grab the plethora of soap, tampons, and unused razors she'd been hoarding... one never knew when they might come in handy.

All this she dumped on the bed as well, before moving on to the kitchen.

"Now what would I need in here?" She thought to herself, looking around. She began to stack up whatever non-perishable food she had; there wasn't very much, she was paid minimum wage and hardly had enough money to live, although she scrounged together whatever she could and hoarded it in the bank. She grabbed a grocery bag from her now depleted pantry, and shoved the meager amount of food into it, and brought that into her room as well. Returning to the kitchen, she glanced around once more. The only things left were some food in the refrigerator, and flatware. Savina opened the silverware drawer, pulled out a few choice items, then looked at the silverware. There were three of each; steak knife, butter knife, fork, spoon. Savina took these as well. She set two of each on either side, and the other set she took to the table. It was strange; Edward Elric was rumored to be able to do alchemy without using a transmutation circle, and Savina suspected that was because he had been to that place where the gate was, just as she had been. Savina, operating by basic instinct, had found a job and an apartment when she realized that this world was not her own. It was a stunning, mind-boggling thought, to think that other worlds existed, and, she had eventually discovered that alchemy was employed here. And she had assumed, correctly, that this practice of alchemy was her ticket back home. Thus, she began to study it. She had only a rudimentary knowledge of it; she could perform only the most basic transmutations. But she had found that she, too, did not require the use of a transmutation circle. 'Which is a good thing,' Savina thought. 'I'd never be able to memorize all of them.'

So, she pressed her hands together firmly, just under her chin, unconsiously placing them crosswise to each other, her fingers wrapping around the other hand and clinging desperately, as though she was afraid she would lose herself in the process of transmuting. A picture came to mind of what she wanted to make, and she focused frantically on it, her brows knitting together in a silken line as her hands disentwined themselves. She touched the silverware, a gentle, loving, caress, and lightning shot from her fingers. The objects glowed with a blinding, ethereal light, and shifted. The light faded; Savina opened her eyes. On the table lay two small, shiny padlocks, each with an ornamental key sticking out from the bottom. Savina smiled, picking them up. They were a little misshapen, but they were undeniably one of her better transmutations. Each lock was shaped like an octopus, the tentacles curling gracefully. The head was simply a metal loop to hook around something, and the key was the bottom-most tentacle. She pulled the keys out, and, grabbing the silverware, set them on the bed as well.

"And now no one can take my stuff!" She said happily. Secret, who had been exploring the contents of the bed, cried. "Yes, baby, you're coming with me." Savina cooed, scratching her under the chin. Secret stretched her neck out, purring. "Now I just need my sketchbook." She said, giving the cat one final scratch before hustling off to the living room. She grabbed the book, and glanced at it. There were around fifteen completed paintings and drawings hanging out of it. 'I need to sell these.' She thought, and looked around the room. 'I can't take any of this with me.' She thought sadly, looking at her paintings. She turned dejectedly back to her room; giving away her art was like giving away a part of her heart.. It was entirely possible she'd never see it again.

"Ah, Savina." The man who opened the door of room forty-six was plump and balding. He wore a pale yellow shirt, khaki pants, and sported small, shrewd eyes and a thick, overlarge mouth. "What can I help you with today?" His voice was wheedling.

"I was wondering if you were still interested in purchasing my paintings." She said.

"That depends on the price." He smiled, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth. It had taken Savina no little amount of time to figure out the currency here; it was very much like Japanese yen, but having previously been a member of the United States, the transition had been difficult, to say the least. There was more than one shop owner who had successfully duped her.

"2,523 sens." She said promptly. The man pursed his lips in thought.

"How about just 2,000?" He said, stepping out into the hallway.

"2,200. I worked very hard on them."

"How about we just say 2,100 and a done deal." He wheedled.

"Okay." Savina said, relenting. It was better than nothing. She picked up the paintings, the ballerina reproduction and the wind-blown woman, off the floor where they'd been leaning against the wall

"Let me get my wallet." He smiled, disappearing inside. Savina glanced at his apartment. It was just like hers, but had an odd mothball smell. She wrinkled her nose delicately. "So, that's 4,200 sens." He said as he emerged from the hallway. He paid her in cash, and took the paintings, smiling wolfishly. His name was Denny Patricks, and he had an obsession with art.

"How about some other sketches or paintings?" Savina asked, picking up her sketchbook.

"Hmm, let's see." He said, taking the book and thumbing through it. He chose two sketches of people in the coffee shop, and three more paintings of women. "How much?" He asked curtly.

"541 sens for the sketches, 956 sens for the paintings."

"1,497 sens.." He murmured. "How about 1,300?" He smiled again.

"1,350." Savina replied. Denny sighed.

"Fine." He said, pulling out more cash. "Thanks for your business." He smiled again, pulling the sketches inside the room with him. Savina nodded, and moved on. Profits at 3,450 sens.

By the time she had returned home, she had managed to sell all her loose sketches and paintings but two, one of a sleeping girl washed in moonlight, and another of a running horse. She'd even sold a few of the pictures that had been in her sketchbook, as well. Savina considered herself lucky; back home, almost no one was willing to buy art from a neighbor. She now carried 130,066 sens in her pocket, the equivalent of just over $1,500 USD. Savina smiled; that was another difference. People here would pay for the effort you put into something, not just the end result. She dumped her nearly empty sketchbook and money on her bed; it was piled with supplies she intended to take with her. She shoved her laundry into the dryer, and made for her vanity table. She opened the drawers, and pulled out an astounding number of hair ties and clips, and some makeup. She tossed these, her hairbrush, and a small case of Bobbie pins onto the mountain that was her bed. She grabbed a spare pair of shoes, a couple winter jackets, all the socks she owned, and a few other items she viewed as necessary. She also grabbed her jewelry; five rings, a good amount of bracelets, necklaces, pins, and earrings. Most of them she'd found in the shop; they had a policy that if they were there for a month, and no one came to claim them, they were a free-for-all, and, Savina, being one of two females who worked there, and the only one interested in such things, took them happily home. She also grabbed two thin yet winter-proof blankets, a couple towels, and pillow cases, and added them to the pile, too. She adamantly refused to be unprepared for anything. It was 4:00 by now, and Secret came out of the bedroom where she'd been sleeping. She cried. It was dinner time.

"I dunno, Al. I still don't think it's a good idea." Edward sighed. They were at their favourite restaurant in Central; a little hole-in-the-wall place where the entire front was open to the street, and the food was good and served in large portions. And, it was relatively cheap. Perfect for Ed, who seemed to have a wormhole for a stomach. He shoveled a huge piece of beef into his mouth.

"It's not like we can't keep her safe." Al replied. He sat opposite his brother and watched him devour his food.

"Yeah," Ed said, mouth full of food, "but it's a pain in the ass. Just one more thing we have to worry about." He swallowed.

"But if we can help her..." Al trailed off, his kind heart in distress. "We might be the only ones who can."

Edward shrugged, reaching for his tea. "Maybe." He said, lifting it to his lips, which were set in a firm line. "But what I can't get my head around is the fact that the Gate just randomly opened on the other side. There's definitely something fishy going on. I just wish we knew what was behind it. Or who." While he was talking, Edward had reassumed his fork in his left hand. Even after all these years, it was still an little awkward. It had taken a long time to adjust to making his left hand dominant; he had been right-handed before their failed transmutation.

"Do you think the homunculi are behind this?" Al asked in a careful whisper, lighted eyes sliding around the room.

"I don't know. All I know is there's something going on here, and we need to get to the bottom of it." Ed said through a mouthful of food. Alphonse shook his head at his brother's deplorable table manners.

"But the homunculi can't do alchemy; how would they be able to open the gate in the first place? I just can't believe something like that would just happen for no reason." Al worried.

"Don't overthink it. All we need to worry about right now is our next lead on the stone, and how to keep Savina and her cat out of trouble." Edward stated this last with a touch of sarcasm, and more than a little annoyance.

"Right." Al said, and fell silent. Edward grabbed a roll from the basket in the middle of the table, and devoured half of it in one bite.


	7. Chapter 7

Part the Seventh

Early Morning Train

Savina's eyes popped open at the first buzz of her alarm clock. The high-pitched sound lasted no more than a few seconds before Savina slapped the off button, threw on her glasses, and lunged out of bed. She had hardly slept that night, she was so full of anticipation. It was like the night before the first day of school, and you were so worried that you'd look horrible on the first day, that your clothes weren't cute or fashionable, that maybe you'd forgotten something vital, but were still so excited because it was the beginning of a new year, which meant new friends, new teachers, new classes, and the smell of a school purified by the summer break. Savina giggled, strung up on an emotional high, and rushed into the bathroom for a quick shower, singing 'Hey Soul Sister' simply because it was the first song that popped into her head, and the upbeat tempo attracted her like a moth to light.  
And then she was frantically wringing out the water from her hair, 'My hair is long, long, looong...' She thought, reaching for a towel, lunging out of the tub, and into her bedroom. She'd accidentally packed her toothbrush and toothpaste too soon. And thus her day was begun, in a flurry of excitement at six in the morning.

Edward leaned against a thick support beam, listening to snippets of conversation as people flowed around him, in an unconcious effort to avoid the hulking frame of his brother. He glanced up at one of the the huge clocks hung at either end of the station. It read 8:15.  
Edward grunted, and fidgeted. It certainly wouldn't be his fault if she got lost, or overslept, or missed teh train in some other way. Yet... he felt somewhat responsible for her now. "Damn it." He muttered. Alphonse sighed next to him.  
"I'm sure she'll be here soon." He murmured gently.  
And, as if to confirm Al's comment, there came a slim figure through the wide doorway, silouetted in bright morning sunlight. As she moved uncertainly forward, glancing covertly this way and that, she came into focus. Her hair was down, rippling softly as she turned her head. She held a soft pink leash in one hand, hooked onto a matching harness. Several people slowed as they passed her to glance at the tiny, fluffy cat that pranced happily alongside her, clearly pleased to be out and admired. One little girl accosted her, and Savina bent down as the she whispered something. Savina smiled, and nodded. The little girl clapped her hands and grinned, bending down to pet the cat. Secret arched up, and jumped into the girl's lap. Savina smiled as the girl screeched delightedly, stroking the ball of fluff Secret had curled up into. after a few minutes, the girl's mother, who had een standing off to the side, pulled her away, and Savina stood, hiking up her backpack. It was only then that she noticed Edward looming over her, hands in pocket, scowl on his face.  
"Come on. We have to get your ticket." He turned abruptly, and Savina bent down to snatch up Secret and followed his brisk pace. Alphonse came up beside her. "Edward will pay for your ticket. Then, all we have to do is find our train and board."  
"Oh, but I can pay for it, I've got money.." Savina said, slightly embarrassed. Al shook his head.  
"It's no use arguing with him, that's just the way he is. You should save your money for when you need it."  
Savina was silent for a moment, feeling slightly out of her depth. For whatever reason, she always felt a little awkward when somebody insisted on paying for something for her. Then,  
"They WILL let Secret on the train, right?" This question had been plaguing Savina from the moment she'd clipped the harness on her little cat.  
"I'm sure they will. I've seen families travelling with small dogs, so as long as you keep her on the leash, I'm sure she'll be fine." Al replied soothingly.  
"Okay.." Savina trailed off, still worried. By this time they'd reached the ticketmaster's booth, and Edward had procured another ticket to East City. He handed it uncerimoniously to Savina.  
"Here. We got a call from the Colonel last night, he wants to see us as soon as we can get there. Al and I already exchanged our tickets. Our train is number 65, and it's over there." He pointed to the right and slightly behind him, his sharp eyes boring into Savina's. "You're sure you still want to come? It won't be easy, to say the least."  
Savina nodded. "Yes." Her tone was determined.  
"Alright, but remember I warned you. It's dangerous. Odds are, you're going to be seriously injured at one point or anotehr, and there's no telling what could happen to that." He poined to Secret, who let out a soft 'Mrrahh', and bobbed her head at him. Savina hugged her tighter.  
"I'll keep her safe." She said.  
"Suit yourself." edward said, and began to make his way toward the train, turning gracefully on one heel. "Come on, let's find a seat." "Right." Al said, and began to follow. Savina trailed behind, suddenly nervous. Not because of Secret, but because she was anxious about what it would be like to travel with Edward and Alphonse. She suddenly felt like a third wheel, an outsider trying desperately to fit into the relationship the brothers shared. Maybe it was a mistake to come.. she thought, dejected. Maybe I should just go home... Without realizing it, her features had become saddened, and she came to a cautios halt behind Alphonse as tehy boarded the plane. When it came her turn, she showed the coach attendant her ticket, a tall, plain-looking man in a smart cadet-blue uniform. He gave a wary glance to the cat, and let her pass. "Open seating." He said to her, just as he'd said to Ed and Al before her. She stepped aboard.  
Savina had never been on a train before, but nevertheless, the excitement overcame her rather worried mood. To the left and right stretched wide, wooden seats upholstered in red on either side of the comparment. Each seat had its own large square window, and a gold-painted wooden luggage rack ran the length of either side. She moved to follow Al, who took a seat opposite Edward in one of the empty booths towards the back of the car. "Here, sit next to the window." Al said kindly, scooting over on the seat. Savina smiled and did as he suggested; she wasn't about to pass up a chance at a window seat, no matter what she was travelling in. She placed her pack by her feet, unwilling to let it out of her sight. She had that kind of paranoia.  
"Mrroww-wow" Secret cried softly, and, stretching, removed herself from her owner's lap to sit next to Al. Savina watched the people milling around the station, listened to the noise of the trains, and couldn't help but smile.

Edward watched as a slow smile spread softly across Savina's face. Al occupied himself with petting Secret. "Do they have trains in your world?" He asked, suddenly curious. Savina's attention snapped away from the window.  
"Uhm, yeah. But not a whole lot like this. Passenger trains. Most of them are cargo trains. We just use cars, buses, and planes to get around."  
"Planes?" Edward asked. There were a few cars in the city, and even a couple buses he'd seen, big, double-decker affairs, but he couldn't for the life of him think what a plane was.  
"Airplanes. They fly. They've got engines and stuff. I've been on one, once. They go thousands of feet up in the air, past the clouds, and it's like the clouds are another earth, they look like fields and mountains and stuff, it's really cool. It's beautiful to watch the sun set from so high. On one side, looking out the window, it was all light pink and blue, and the other side was all firey orange and red and yellow... it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen." Savina's tone was reverent as she spoke of the clouds, and her hands fluttered wildly, trying to interpret what she meant.  
"That does sound beautiful. Maybe you could draw it." Al commented.  
"Hmm. I don't know..." Savina said.  
"Don't undersell yourself." Edward grunted. Although he still couldn't imagine what an airplane was, the thought of watching a sunset from above the clouds mistified him. "You're a talented artist."  
"Thanks." Savina said, squirming. Just then, the train's whistle blew, a screeching, grating sound, and the car began to thrum, rumbling with the motion of the wheels, as the oiled gears began to slowly move, propelling the huge weight of the train forward. A few people standing on the platform waved, threw kisses, and gesticulated. The horn bellowed, once, twice, three times, as the platform slowly rolled past, and the steady rhythm of the engine, Savina heard it as a deep bumm-bum-bum-bumm, sped up, and the station slid from her view, replaced by a blur of buildings as they passed Central City, and the only place she knew in this world. The gray of the city finally gave way to the green of the country. 'You're not in Florida, anymore, babe.' Savina thought to herself, and glanced at Edward, who stared vacantly out the window. Alphonse continued to stroke Secret, who had fallen asleep. All three were silent, the excitement of riding on a train long past them. She was suddenly giddy, heady with elation, for no reason at all. She squirmed again, bounced a little, and grinned. Her emotions soared, she felt lighter than the air she breathed, and felt like she must be glowing like a star, but no one else seemed to notice.  
And that was all right, so she kept quiet, preferring to keep this happy feeling to herself, at least for now. She was happy, she was on an adventure, and her road, which had once seemed so bleakand dreary, stretched out before her in the sunshine. Right now, everything was painted golden. 


	8. Chapter 8

Part the Eighth

To Fight Like a Ninja

"So. What I want you to do is stretch your right leg up like this, and hold it at hip level for as long as you can." The train had stopped for a midday break at a small town a couple hundred miles southeast of Central, and Edward had taken Al's suggestion to capitalize on the time to train Savina. They stood on a grassy field a few yards away from the wooden platform, and Edward's order had Savina staring skeptically at him. He was balanced on one leg with his body turned to the side, fists up, and his right leg bent at an angle as though he were about to kick out at an opponent. "Hmm." She grunted, and lifted her leg up. Her face was a study of determination as she wobbled back and forth, desperately trying to keep her balance as her leg slowly rose in the air.  
"Good. Now try to kick me." Edward stated, fluidly returning to a standing position. Al watched form the sidelines, Secret curled in his arms. She watched lazily from under hooded eyes. Edward raised his arms in a blocking stance.  
Savina pondered his request for a brief moment, and lashed out. Edward ducked smoothly, and lunged at her. His shoulder rammed home into her calf, and she toppled forward in a flurry of flailing limbs and wild hair. Edward turned swiftly and stood over her.  
"Wrong. Try again."  
"Owww, ow, ow, ow, owww.." Savina moaned. "Was that really neccessary? I mean really? REALLY with that?" She said, more than a little disgruntled.  
"I'm trying to teach you how to defend yourself. Always expect the unexpected." Edward replied. "Again."  
Savina moaned pitifully, but did as he asked. This time, her kick was swifter and more vicious, but Edward still bested her, brushing her avenging foot off to the side and thus eliminating her center of balance. "Again." He said before she could complain. And so she tried again.  
And again.  
And with each surmounting fail, she grew more irritated.  
"Again." Edward yawned. And this time, Savina duped him. She feinted a kick to his chest, and, as he moved to react, lunged at his solar plexus, sending them both flying down.  
They hit the ground hard. Well, Edward did, anyway. Although his body was hard and compact, Savina had a much easier time of it. "Brother!" Al cried from the sidelines, moving towards them, his armor clanking noisily.  
"Hey! What was that for?" Edward raged under her, rubbing the back of his head, his features distorted by pain. Savina humphed.  
"'Expect the unexpected.', Now, who was it who said that, I forget..." She said coyly, obviously pleased with herself as she stood. Edward sat up.  
"That's not what I meant!" He muttered, accepting Al's proffered hand. "Are you okay?" Al asked.  
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Edward waved his hand, brushing away his brother's comment. He rubbed the back of his head again, his othr hand resting on his hip. "Good job. I'll have to pay more attention next time we spar." Ed said, turning to Savina.  
"We can't do any more now?" Savina pleaded.  
"Actually, I think the train's about to leave..." Edward said, moving toward the platform.  
"It is not, we've got another half hour, at least! I want to keep fighting!" "Fight with Al."  
"With Al! YOU'RE the one who's supposed to be training me!"  
"You've already hurt me enough today!" Edward raged, turning back to face her.  
"Come on, man up! Fight me!" Savina prodded, stepping towards him.  
"Go pet your cat," Edward said, "I'm going to get something to eat."  
"But brother, you just ate an hour ago!" Al scolded.  
"Yeah, well, getting knocked around makes me hungry." Edward replied, and jumped nimbly onto the platform, and sauntered out of view.  
"He really is impossible, isn't he?" Al noted.  
"Yup." Savina agreed, and then rushed after him, Al on her heels.

Savina rolled up the left leg of her pants. In the middle of her calf, an ugly yellow bruise swelled her flesh. She poked it, softly.  
"Ow.." She muttered under her breath, and then poked it again, a little harder. "Ow!" She said, biting her lip. Edward glanced over. Outside, darkness had fallen, and the world outside was pitch black.  
"Looks pretty bad." He commented.  
"Yeah, I wonder why." Savina said, her words dripping with venom. She glared at Edward from under her bangs. She turned her leg. There was another, smaller, bruise, from where Ed's automail had struck a little too hard when he'd parried her kick. She poked that too, but managed to swallow her grunt. Thank god I wore dark pants, she thought to herself. Her outfit was comprised of black pants, tight up top and wide at the hem, made of a thin and cool material, with pockets not just at her hips and bum, but on her thighs as well. They could be rolled up until they came just above the place her large bruise now occipied, and a strip of cloth sewn into the seam could be fitted over a brass button on either side of her leg. A deep crimson tee-shirt, also made of a light material, was covered by a form-fitting black vest, the bottom of which reached to her waist, and tied in the back. She'd considered popping the collar, but then decided she'd look sort of retarded, and had consequently left it down. Her shoes were white platform sneakers, the top made of heavy black canvas, with two leather stripes on either side. She'd matched her colour scheme to Edward's own, subconciously. She liked it when things matched. "How's your head?"  
"Fine." Edward said, looking back out the window, resting his head in his hand. He scowled.  
"It's not bleeding, is it?"  
"I don't know." He replied, glaring steadfastly out the window. "Let me see." "No." "Why?"  
"Because."  
"Because... why?" Savina urged.  
"Because I don't want to."  
"Brother." Alphonse sighed wearily. "Is it bleeding?"  
"No." Edward retorted.  
"Why didn't you tell me that?" Savina said, miffed.  
Edward ignored her. Savina sighed, and scratched Secret behind her ear. The cat purred, stretching in her lap.  
"Don't be rude, Ed." Al admonished. Edward grunted. "Don't mind him. He just doesn't always know how to react." Al said kindly to Savina, justifying his older brother's behaviour.  
"It's fine." Savina shrugged. "Does this thing have a sleeper car?" "I don't think so." Al replied. "I guess most of the people who ride this train are only going a short way away."  
"Or they forgot to attatch it." Edward muttered. "I hate sleeping on trains."  
"It cant' be that bad." Savina said.  
"They don't even hand out pillows!"  
"Oh, well.. I have blankets, you could use one of those as a pillow." "You have..." Edward sputtered, "WHY?"  
"Just in case." Savina shrugged. "Want one?" She asked. Edward considered for a moment.  
"Nah. I'll just use my coat." "All right.." Savina replied doubtfully. "That's what he usually does. It's not as bad as he makes it seem; he complains a lot more about the beds on a train." Al interjected.  
"Shut up, Al." Savina laughed. "If you want one, take one. I have a couple, it's fine." Before Edward could reply in the negatory, She pulled out one of the thin blankets in her bag, and tossed the rolled-up bundle at Ed, who caught it swiftly, almost without looking.  
"Thanks." He sighed, placed it on the seat against the wall, and laid down, turning towards the back of the seat. He appeared to be asleep within minutes.  
Savina glanced out the window, fruitlessly trying to detect the landscape. "Hey, Al?" She asked gently, still looking outside.  
"Hmm?"  
"Why do you watch over him like that? I mean, he's your older brother. You'd think he'd be the more mature one."  
Al chuckled, the sound ringing around in his hollow case. "Well, someone has to look out for him, and keep him out of trouble. He'd have no one to keep him from getting too crazy if I just let him loose." "Ah." Savina paused. "You don't think I'm a burden, do you?" Her voice was nervous.  
"No, I don't. I want to help you find your way back home, and I know Edward does, too, even though he doesn't show it. He likes, you, really, he just doesn't know how to say it."  
Savina smiled. "I like you guys, too. Thank you." She responded, and leaned over to hug him. His armor was cold and hard. He patted her shoulder as she pulled away. "You should get some sleep." He said, scootching over to teh edge of the seat. Savina nodded, and pulled out the otehr blanket, a soft blue. The one she'd handed Ed was yellow. She placed it up against the wall, and, maneuvering Secret so she laid between herself and the seat's back, assumed a mirror image of Edward's position, albeit more scrunched, due to Al's huge frame.  
"Goodnight." She whispered.  
"'Night." Al replied, as the lights in the train began to dim.

Edward sighed, softly. Eyes closed, body calm, he's overheard Savina and Al's soft conversation. He DID like her, Al was right. Al was always right when it came to deciphering his mixed emotions. But he still thought of her a somewhat of a burden, a tagalong they had to carry back home before they could continue their mission. She was a nice enough girl, she was funny, and intelligent, and talented, but that didn't go far when you were chasing something as dangerous as the Philosopher's Stone; you had to be strong and determined, and basically fearless. He sensed that his friendship with this girl would be vastly different from the one he shared with Winry. Winry was, after all, his childhood friend. He could read her like a book, while at the same time disguising his own thoughts and motives so she didn't get hurt. Winry was strong, but he refused to throw her into the face of danger the same way Savina seemed to fling herself at it. Savina was harder to read, though. Maybe because he didn't know her very well. She seemed to show outer pain well enough, but she was definitely covering some form of inner suffering. From being here? Missing her old life? If he'd learned one thing so far, he'd learned the hard way that you can never take back time. You can't reverse the order of the world; what's gone is gone, and it will never come back. Even if she returned home, most likely it wouldn't be the same as she left it, and if she wasn't strong enough, that reality would break her. 


End file.
